I used a tow dolly with my 68 cuda 904 from springfield oregon to bellingham washington without unhooking the driveline. Thing is that I started the car and let it idle in neutral while under tow. Was it the right thing to do...maybe not but that was 6 years ago and am still running the same transmission today. Worked fine with my built 318. now that it's behind a 408 I am seeing slippage at the 1-2 shift but I don't think that's because of the way I towed it...
An auto car on a tow dolly?
- Thread starter knote72
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knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
Tripping on different lights and sensors? That does sound similar to what I'm seeing. Is it anything I can check eoth a multimeter?
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Yes, you can check the voltage coming out of the alternator. Or of course have your LPS check it out for you.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
I'd have to check it myself, the tags are outdated so I can't take it beyond our road
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Pull the alternator and the battery. Take both down to the parts store like oreillys or autozone. They can check both on their test bench and tell if one or both are bad. On our camaro when the battery got a bad cell it would trip sensors, lights on the dash saying that the anti lock brakes and traction control were going bad. A $30 recon battery from the local wrecking yard fixed that. On my powerstroke ford when the same thing happened it was my alternator. Both are as you know part of the charging system. My camaro was a '99 and my ford an '04. Just to say that these computer managed rigs rely heavily on a stable input of volts and amps to run their systems.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
I'll take off the alternator and take it down to em, I know the battery I put in it is good so the alternator is the candidate.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
Since the sale on the jeep is coming up short on buyers for now, my brother offered to front the cost on the Demon and I can just pay him back later. Now I'm talking to the guy to solidify details and get a trip over there arranged. He has a title for it, so thats good.
Asked about the state of the tires so it can go on a dolly, he says they should be good but it'd be smart to bring a spare set. Now searching around the place for decent 5x4" lug wheels. The wheels on Grandpas old acclaim are 5x100 metric, which translates to 5x3.94". Would that be close enough?
Asked about the state of the tires so it can go on a dolly, he says they should be good but it'd be smart to bring a spare set. Now searching around the place for decent 5x4" lug wheels. The wheels on Grandpas old acclaim are 5x100 metric, which translates to 5x3.94". Would that be close enough?
I wouldn't pull the driveshaft or mess with any of that. It should have steering wheel lock. back it on the dolly and tow it backwards. If the demon has a good battery, you can turn the flashers on in the Demon for the trip home.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Out of curiosity I checked out the local u haul website for auto haulers. It said a car dolly is like $44.95 to rent and their actual car trailers are like $54.95. For ten bucks more if tour rig has the ability to pull it, why mess around with finding extra tires hauling it on backwards or whatever else. Lol, rent the actual trailer and forget the dolly and stress of it fitting, tires blowing out and all the drama that goes with it. If you have a problem with the trailer, it's uhaul that has to fix it.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
The problem is that a full trailer would really be pushing the weight limit on my Dakota. I have a receiver hitch for it but I still wouldn't push it hauling over 4000lbs, especially the elevations it'll be climbing. The dolly works with a lot less weight.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Very true. Lol, maybe rent a uhaul truck and trailer combo. Then you are covered for sure. I can tell you from experience hauling through that pass even with my 1 ton diesel truck and a car loaded on my trailer it is an adventure to say the least. My dad and brother in law both had Dakota trucks. One was 2wd the other 4wd and I don't know I would trust either to handle the weight of an older real steel car with even a lighter dolly to handle that. It would be bad times to be overheated or blown engine or trans in the pass where cell phone reception is non existent. Especially since it can be 100 miles between even gas stations let alone towns. Unless of course you like to be adventurous. Haha, I usually reserve those types of fun for when I'm close enough for AAA to come get me.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Just my .02 lol. Glad to hear though you are getting the car.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
Looking at the map, the only trouble spots as far as elevation are between Bend & Burns and on our side of Sisters, which as far as I'm concerned is within the home stretch. Given we're at 600ft and Boise is up over 2000ft, the biggest climb is getting there which would be with an empty dolly.
Besides my Dakota is the V8 with the OD a518. Ram 1500 guts. I'll just drive dropped outta overdrive. I just gotta keep the speed down on the descent.
just cover the basics...... good tires and good brakes. use lower gears down longer, steep hills. Don't park where you have to back up. And, as I suggested earlier, I'd tow it backwards and forget unhooking the driveshaft/loosing tranny fluids or checking the rear end grease.
In the end, every time I travel the interstates, cars being towed daily.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a good plan. It may be a slow go on the way there as well. I know uhaul car dollies are a little heavier than my dolly, mine is bouncy empty at much anything over 55mph.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
The only problem with backwards-mounting it on the dolly is that 60% of the weight should be at the front of any trailer (or ahead of the trailer axle), for safer hauling and less-likelihood of trailer sway. I appreciate the suggestion, but I think playing it safe means mounting it front first and disconnecting the driveshaft (I'll bring wire and straps to tie it to the frame).
The difference though is that a trailer weighs much more than a dolly, so opting for a dolly will keep my Dakota happier. Not like I'm hauling an RV, but I won't be winning any races since with OD disengaged the engine starts revving up over 55mph. Like mentioned above, the engine and trans are shared from a Ram of the same year, so I got a good powerplant and powertrain already. The frame and brakes were my only concern. The owner's manual (yes I have the original paper manual) states the V8 Dakota can handle 8000-8800lbs gross combined weight (the truck comes in under 4000lbs so with a 72 Demon on a tow dolly I'm in business). I just changed out the front brakes within the last year and they're all around solid (and I'll just keep in low underdrive to help control my speed going down). And again I'd be making the biggest climb with an empty trailer so if I take the return trip slow I'm good. I at least punched in the numbers on uhaul's site and they can allow this combo (with this long of a trip I'd get charged for a 2 day rental, lol any chance I could borrow your dolly for a bit cheaper Pentastar?).
LOL my friend actually suggested I get a AAA membership. My logic: what good will AAA do if I break down outside of cell range where I can call them?
I put together a "just in case" kit:
- Usual tools (wrenches, sockets, pliers, channel locks, knife, etc)
- Jack, stands, planks and chocks
- Jug of 85W140 gear oil (idk if thats the best oil to put in the diff of the Demon but it's what I have readily available and it should work for the trip home)
- Wire and duct tape (for securing the driveshaft)
- All emergency fluids (motor oil, ATF fluid, coolant, DOT 3, power steering, etc never can be too careful on a long trip) + tubing, siphon pump, funnels
- Come-along pulley
- Spare set of tires
- Jumpstarter
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When all the weight is on the trailer, true. But a two wheel dolly is different. You'll not get 60% past the front axle. I've owned a dolly, and towed... never mind.The only problem with backwards-mounting it on the dolly is that 60% of the weight should be at the front of any trailer (or ahead of the trailer axle), for safer hauling and less-likelihood of trailer sway. I appreciate the suggestion, but I think playing it safe means mounting it front first and disconnecting the driveshaft (I'll bring wire and straps to tie it to the frame).
I'm sure it will all work out just fine for you
You are so underestimating your Dakota. Same engine as a full size. That thing will do anything you want.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Engine and trans combo are one thing, but when you are pulling a trailer it's all about weight. The tow vehicle weight versus the tow weight. My truck is rated for pulling 11,000 pounds. I pull car haulers loaded with heavy farm equipment, my 5th wheel, etc. I may be at or under factory weight ratings when I'm pulling full load. Doesn't mean that if I'm pulling up grade, or someone pulls out abruptly that I can stop on a dime or not put stress on the drivetrain going up the mountain side. Hp isn't anything when you are dragging weight. My truck has 500 hp and probably twice that in torque and I assure you I can feel the trailer sway and shift. I'm sure it will go smoothly, I myself would probably not drag a full size anything with a midsized anything 500 miles through moutain ranges. But as my wife and kids will attest to, I've been wrong many times before. At least do yourself a solid, rent the dolly in Idaho and return it to the uhaul in your area. Saves you money on a one way rental and you don't have to waste the fuel dragging a car dolly behind you all the way there.
I pulled a dodge m-37 100 miles in the dead of winter,6000 lbs for sure. My lifted 80 power wagon didnt handle the weight very well, but the ol 318 didnt bat an eye.
Dakota is a heavy truck for its size,i wouldnt think twice about trailering it. Car is light, find a trailer with a 14 foot deck and you will be golden. I have a duster sitting on my trailer right now, it is a 14' deck, fits perfect. Its a landscape trailer/fold up ramp, was no problem to haul.
Dakota is a heavy truck for its size,i wouldnt think twice about trailering it. Car is light, find a trailer with a 14 foot deck and you will be golden. I have a duster sitting on my trailer right now, it is a 14' deck, fits perfect. Its a landscape trailer/fold up ramp, was no problem to haul.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
Uhaul rents nice lightweight flat car trailers. I've used them in the past, they work great, easy low deck to load. I would definitely call the boise idaho branch of uhaul and reserve one for the day you show up. Wether it be a dolly or hauler. Why pay the milage rental to go both ways with it. The important thing is that you are getting the car! Congratulations on that for sure, no matter how you get it home. Lol, just get it home.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
LOL yeah that's the important thing now, GETTING IT HOME. And thanks for the tip on the uhaul thing, I forget that there is actually enough civilization in Idaho for Boise to have a uhaul branch LOL. Although, I punched in the numbers and they both come in just above $100 within a few bucks of each other, so I'm banking on the gas mileage savings and gonna rent it when I get there.
The engine and trans for sure will handle it, I was just concerned about brakes and frame. And this was before I remembered I had a trailer hitch (apparently it was setup with the tow haul package at the dealer).
A trailer with trailer brakes is one thing and a dolly is another. But I had a 99 Dakota 3.9 that I towed a Duster 300 miles on a dolly...and a 72 Challenger on the same Dolly from Kentucky to PA almost 800 miles lots of steep grades but not like yours. Other than gas mileage the truck worked great.
knote72
Stupidity is not unilateral, we all pay the price
Yeah a lot of the firsthand accounts I'm reading about towing with a Dakota are reassuring. It won't be winning any races (speeding while towing not smart anyways), but as long as you have a receiver hitch (like I do) then the truck can handle it. I already have tow lights and heavy duty straps I can borrow, so I won't need to rent that stuff from uhaul.
Penstarpurist
Well-Known Member
The dolly should come with the straps attached to the trailer. The only thing I can think of that may be an issue is the tire size vs strap length. You will have to ask them what size cars can fit their trailer by width and tire size. Years ago I hauled a duster on a my dolly and while it fit no problem on the rack when I made a sharp turn into the parking lot at the dragstrip the dolly fenders kissed the lower rocker on the duster and dented it up. Then I can't tell you how many times I have had people want to borrow mine and the tires on their rigs were just tall enough that the straps wouldn't fit over and lock in. And no matter how many tie downs you use to try to secure it to the deck they won't hold after the couple turns or bumps. I can tell you from experience, having the rig slip even one tire of the deck is no good. It's a struggle to say the least. Just questions you want to ask before you commit to the trip. How wide of a wheelbase and tire size can the dolly handle. And no, airing the tires down is not the fix. Lol. Nowadays all the cars are small.
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